


Un-Boring-ing The Afterlife

by perytons_shadow



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Asexual Thomas, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 14:58:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18780592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perytons_shadow/pseuds/perytons_shadow
Summary: Thomas wants to read, but he can’t turn the pages himself. A marvel of modern technology lends a helping hand.





	Un-Boring-ing The Afterlife

**Author's Note:**

> I mention A Game Of Thrones and there’s a single spoiler which isn’t really a spoiler at this point

When he had chosen to stay at Button house after his unfortunate demise, Thomas Thorne hadn’t expected it to be so deathly _boring_.

He had heard the Plague Girl singing himself and had expected his ghostly experience to be similar- a string of haunting and more haunting and, guess what, even more haunting. Alas, he had not landed himself with any ghostly powers. Only the ability to fall in love seemingly ten times easier than he had in life. What had he done to deserve that!

It had gotten slightly easier when Julian had arrived with his ability to touch things in the realm of the living. He had had a splendid time asking the former politician to turn the pages of his books. It went wonderfully and, dare he say, he enjoyed Julian’s company. That was until he started listing his sexual exploits and Thomas (who had never really felt the urge to engage in intercourse) was left feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Julian had entertained himself with the other spirits, and Thomas had been left to wander the house again. He had met the other Plague Ghosts and had enjoyed their company, and he had kindled a good friendship with Humphrey, becoming his Designated Head Carrier.

Thomas loved the other ghosts, they were a family, and the only people who understood his problems. But he could never forget the urge to read. He couldn’t feel the brush of a page on his fingers, or the smell of an old book, ever again, but the fact that they still lingered in the library taunting him was just too awful for him to bear.

Everything changed when Alison and Mike arrived to Button House. He gained a rather embarrassing crush on Alison, and spent a large chunk of his day trailing her around. It was alright.

Thomas had a lot of love in his heart and not many places to put it.

His life (afterlife) changed when he walked in on Alison with a pair of earbuds connected to slim white wires in her ears, which he had learned were called headphones. She was filling out paperwork halfheartedly.

“My love! It is splendid to see you, I-” he stopped when he realised that she had not heard him.

It could’ve been music, but Thomas knew from prior experience that she didn’t get that invested in it, even when doing tedious paperwork. He teetered around the sofa, and stood in front of her.

“Alison?” This was when she looked up at him. “What are you doing?” He asked

She picked up her phone, and took out her headphones. “Paperwork and an audiobook.” She replied, placing her phone on the table and sinking into the sofa.

“Audiobook?” Thomas had not heard this term before, and he was intrigued.

“It’s like a normal book, but there’s someone reading it to you. So you can do other boring things while finally ‘reading’ the book you’ve always meant to.” She showed him the little mirror in the phone. “I’ve got A Game Of Th-”

“Can I listen?” He interrupted without thinking, before clasping his hands over his mouth. “My lady! I... Oh, curse me!”

Alison only replied with a little chuckle. “Of course you can.”

She shuffled to one side of the sofa, and patted the place next to her. Thomas hurried to the sofa so fast that he passed through the little table she was leaning on. He seated himself a respectable distance from her at the other side of the chair. His heart felt like it was thumping, even though it couldn’t possibly be, because he was dead. He sat there for a while.

This book, A Game Of Thrones, was very violent and a little too sexual for his liking, but that didn’t matter, because what did matter was that he was listening to a book! He wouldn’t have to sulk around the library any more, as he could just listen to the books he wanted to. A massive grin spread across his face.

Time sped by and Alison finished the paperwork. She collected up the flimsy sheets and sighed, and finally she turned off the audiobook just as Bran was pushed from the tower. Thomas couldn’t help but show his disappointment.

“Hey, are you alright?” Alison asked, and Thomas was snapped out of his thoughts.

“Yes! I’m... I’m great!” Thomas’s face fell as he rubbed the nape of his neck. If he had blood he would surely be blushing. “Just... this was so fun, and I would love to listen to these audiobooks again.”

Alison thought for a few painful moments, and then nodded. “Of course.”

Thomas beamed and stood up. And so he did. Whenever Alison brought out her audiobooks, Thomas was their lurking nearby like, well, a ghost. It was wonderful. Sometimes other ghosts came to investigate. Julian especially liked when the characters did the deed, and Fanny would scoff whenever it began. Most surprisingly, Pat became a massive fan of the books, and frequently attended with his own theories.

Soon enough Thomas plucked up the courage to ask for his own audiobook downloads, and Alison happily complied. Maybe she was glad that he would stop stalking her all day and all night. To be fair, if Thomas was in her position, he realised that he wouldn’t like what he was doing either.

He would sit and listen to them for hours and hours, and when he came out he was always beaming. Maybe death wasn’t so boring after all.


End file.
